Light in the Dark
by harry horror
Summary: When the King of Games discovers his hikari at a cafe, the two struggle with the realities of sharing a soul. No one said meeting your soulmate was a walk in the park. (prequel to The Pharaoh's Hikari)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This story is inspired by my current standoff with writer's block.

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>The first time Yami saw Yugi Mutou, he spilled tea down the front of himself.<p>

It was an involuntary twitch of the hand, just enough to feel the dribble on his fingers before realizing that a small tepid pool was soaking into the crotch of his pants. He slammed down his cup, turning from the boy who had entered the café and yanked napkins from the table dispenser as he sopped up the tea puddled in his lap.

It was late Thursday afternoon, and the café was full of Domino University students crammed into mismatched tables and chairs, sitting hunchbacked at their laptops, coffee mugs clutched in their hands. The shop was tiny, with low ceilings and dark walls, but, the smell of coffee, and the heat rattling through the vents made it a cozy haven from the autumn chill outside

The boy was still lingering in the doorway as Yami finished blotting the tea from his clothes. He was short, Yami noticed, just scraping five feet, but his hair stood on end with the electricity of three different hues, granting him a few precious inches. He shrugged off his jacket and tucked it under his arm, before navigating over the jumble of power cords that patrons had stretched across the floor to reach available outlets.

He waved to the barista working the espresso machine and placed his order at the register. As he fished out his wallet, a coin dropped from his pocket, rolling across the floor before he trapped it with his shoe. He grabbed it from the ground and as he straightened, he met Yami's stare.

The boy's eyes were purple, part hidden under a blonde fringe that he pushed back as he noticed Yami sitting a few feet away. His cheeks reddened, and he gave a timid smile before turning back to the counter, dropping the coin all over again but ignoring it as it rolled behind him towards Yami table.

Despite the cold, damp material clinging to his thighs, Yami felt part of him stirring as the boy glanced over his shoulder, their eyes meeting again.

"Hey – Yugi!" the girl who had been working the espresso machine said, drawing the attention of the boy as she met him at the register.

Espresso girl flipped her dark ponytail over her shoulder, leaning over the counter as Yugi whispered something to her. The girl seemed familiar to Yami as she settled on her elbows, eyes flickering behind Yugi as she scanned the coffee shop. When her eyes met Yami's stare, she bit back a grin, and Yami struggled to place her. She said something to Yugi but, her reply was lost as another barista flipped on the blender.

Yami started to stand but froze as he remembered the damp stain that had taken up residence over his crotch. He sank back into his chair as espresso girl handed Yugi a to-go cup, jerking her head in Yami's direction.

Yugi shook his head, backpedaling as he waved to the girl, who glared at him, lips pursed.

"I'm leaving!" Yugi said, his voice igniting something low in Yami's stomach.

He couldn't let the boy leave.

"Wait!" Yami said. His chair scraped across the floor as he stood.

Yugi froze mid-backpedal, cheeks flushed as Yami leaned over and picked up Yugi's abandoned coin. Skirting around a table of girls pouring over textbooks and vanilla lattes, Yami reached Yugi and offered him the money.

The younger boy gave another shy smile, his fingers trembling as they brushed Yami's palm, igniting a fire that rocketed through older boy's body.

Meeting his hikari, Yami had been told, would feel like sliding the last puzzle piece of his soul into place, an indescribable feeling of coming full circle, like curling under the covers and drifting into the realm between reality and dreamland.

Yami was not prepared for the intensity of that shock when Yugi's skin brushed against his. Electricity raced up his arms, thrusting his pulse into overdrive as it vibrated through his veins. Happiness, sadness, joy, fear, and lust roared through him and, before he could stop himself, he was gripping Yugi's shoulder, the waves of emotions crashing through him.

It was amazing and disturbing all at once.

Yugi's eyes were wide as Yami came down from the high, and while time had stopped for the pair, the café continued to bustle around them, the door slamming closed as someone came or went.

"Are you okay?" Yugi said. His face was creased with concern but, he seemed otherwise unaffected by the meeting of his darker half.

Yami slid his hand from Yugi's shoulder, straightening as he took a breath. "My apologies," Yami said, "I felt dizzy for a moment."

"You should sit," Yugi said, inspecting the older boy as if waiting for him to topple over. Then, his blush deepened. He cleared his throat, eyes focusing somewhere over Yami's shoulder.

It was then Yami realized that his pants were still soaked with tea, highlighting the bulge that had turned rock hard at briefest touch of Yugi's skin. If he hadn't been the ruler of Egypt in a past life, Yami was sure that his face would be as red as Yugi's.

"Sit with me," Yami said. It wasn't a question.

He wanted answers - the boy's full name and his story, why he was here and where he was from. He wouldn't let Yugi from his sight, not now, not when his hands tingled to tangle in the boy's hair, to press his skin against his own, to feel him writhe beneath him. He took another deep breath. It had been five minutes and, this boy was already threatening his composure.

Espresso girl gave Yugi a sly thumbs up as they walked back to Yami's table and, Yugi was fidgeting as he slid into the chair across from the older boy. Yami pushed his now cold mug to the side, folding his hands on the table.

"I'm Yugi," the boy said. He took a sip of his drink, studying the older boy over the lid of his cup.

"You may call me, Yami," Yami said. He didn't like the boy's nervous energy. It seemed to slide under his skin, muddling his thoughts.

"I know," Yugi said. He fiddled with his cup. "I've seen you duel." He gulped down his drink, embarrassed.

Yami nodded. As the current reigning champion of Duel Monsters and the King of Games, people often recognized him from the champion level duels they broadcast on television.

"Are you a duelist, Yugi?" Yami said. He tasted the boy's name on his tongue and found himself wanting to say it again.

Yugi rubbed the back of his head. "Only here in Domino," he said. "It's not like I am the King of Games or anything." He smiled, a real smile this time.

His hikari was teasing him. Yami's stomach fluttered. _You're acting like an adolescent, _Yami told himself. _Calm your mind._

"Tell me about yourself," Yami said.

Yugi pulled on his collar. "Well, I go to Domino," he said. "I'm studying to be an archeologist."

"And what is the focus of your studies?" Yami said.

"Ancient Egypt," Yugi said. "I've been pretty obsessed since I was a kid."

Yami wasn't surprised. The hikaris of legend did not exist in his time but, magic was the basis of their existence. The ancient Egyptian magic that pumped through Yami's veins was destined to pull in his light, and while hikaris were not born with the knowledge of their lineage, destiny would lead them to their darker half.

"Any particular reason?" Yami asked.

Yugi paused. "Well, my grandfather spent a lot of time in Egypt before I was born," he said. He fiddled with his cup. "A few years ago he gave me something from one of his digs. He told me that he thought I was destined to have it. I've been hooked on learning more about the history and culture behind it ever since."

Yami met his hikari's eyes, only speaking when the younger boy began to squirm in his chair.

"What did he give you?" Yami said, leaning forward.

"A puzzle," Yugi said. His nervous energy had eased but, his shoulders were tense as he mentioned his grandfather's gift.

Yami froze in his seat, mind racing. _It has to be the Millennium Puzzle_, he thought. He forced himself to relax back into his chair as his hikari glanced at the café door.

Like most Egyptian children, Yami's bedtime stories were weaved in the era of ancient times, where shadow games threatened the world and an ancient pharaoh sealed the magic in the seven millennium items with his soul. These millennium items were entrusted to the keepers of the tombs and, each generation of keepers awaited the day when the pharaoh and the former owners of the millennium items would be reborn.

However, for the reborn to tap into their powers, they had to first find their other half, their hikari. Born to balance the shadow magic that flowed through their darker half's veins, the hikaris of legend were insurance by the ancient priests who sealed the millennium items thousands of years ago. They were the light to the shadow magic that the millennium items contained, and once a hikari was revealed to their darker half, the two souls would grow to be one, yin and yang.

"I would like to see this puzzle," Yami said, "if you will allow me."

Yugi turned back to Yami, wary. "Well," Yugi said. "It's pretty important to me. I don't usually even mention it to people." He cringed. "I mean, I'm not saying you can't be trusted or anything…I just…I don't…" He sighed. "I'm just usually not so open with people I don't know."

"I would like to acquaint myself with you," Yami said.

Yugi's nervousness crawled underneath Yami's skin, and he forced himself to look away from his hikari. The intensity of his stare was legendary, and while onlookers speculated it was intense focus, Yami suspected it had more to do with the ancient pharaoh that had been his past life.

_You're panicking him_, Yami told himself, _and his anxiety is feeding into me. _Yami frowned. It seemed that his lhikari was uncomfortable talking about himself to those he didn't know. _Don't worry, little one_, Yami thought. _Soon I will know all of your secrets and then, we will be one._

Yugi finished off his drink, and Yami felt his companion's earlier nerves spark across his skin.

"I should really…" Yugi said.

"I apologize," Yami said, cutting him off. "I am…unpracticed when it comes to these situations."

Yugi's forehead crinkled. "What do you mean?"

"I want to spend time with you," Yami said. "You interest me."

Yugi flushed. "But, you're the King of Games."

Yami frowned, confused. "I am," he said, agreeing. He failed to see the course of the younger boy's statement.

"So, aren't you…busy?" Yugi said. He knocked over his empty cup as he gestured with his hands.

They both reached for the cup at the same time, and Yami felt another surge of electricity race through his body as he touched Yugi's hand. They both jerked back.

"Jeesh," Yugi said, "that's the second time we've shocked each other." He smiled, rubbing the fingers of his tingling hand.

"Do you agree?" Yami said, urgent in his request to better accustom the boy to him. This time it had been easier to manage the energy that flooded through him when he touched Yugi's skin but as the feeling faded, Yami's body ached. His hikari was wary of him, and the lack of physical and mental feedback from his other half made Yami feel hollow and anxious.

"Of course," Yugi said. "How often do you meet the King of Games?" He smiled, teasing the older boy again.

"Let's begin then," Yami said.

Yugi sputtered. "Well, I didn't mean right this second!"

"Tomorrow then?" Yami said. Now that he had discovered him, the time without his hikari would feel slower, harder, and darker. It was going against every part of him to even consider letting the boy leave his side.

"Well, I have class in the morning," Yugi said, "but I could meet you in the afternoon."

"My hotel is only two blocks from here," Yami said. "Is it convenient for you to meet me there?"

Yugi nodded.

"3 pm tomorrow in the lobby of the Mandarin then?" Yami said.

"Sure," Yugi said. He rose from his chair. "I have to help my grandfather close up his shop now though." He slipped on his jacket, taking out his cell phone.

Yami stood, buttoning his jacket as Yugi checked his phone. He realized that, though a little discolored, the tea had dried from his pants.

The café had emptied somewhat as the pair had talked, and espresso girl was reading a magazine behind the counter. She gave Yugi the call me sign as the pair exited the café. The air was brisk as night fell, and Yugi snuggled into his coat as a breeze pushed past them on the quiet city street.

"Tomorrow then," Yami said. His fingers curled in his pockets, desperate to touch his hikari again but, he ignored the whisper in his mind telling him not to let Yugi out of his sight. _He will return_, Yami reminded himself. _And together we will rediscover the power of the Millennium Puzzle._

Yami started towards his hotel, turning when Yugi called his name and jogged to catch up with him.

"Here, you should take my cell phone number in case something comes up," Yugi said. He thrust a crumpled receipt in Yami's hands, a number scrawled across the back.

His hikari waved as he started in the opposite direction, and Yami watched as he disappeared down the block.

The temperature seemed to drop as Yami walked down the street, and he felt the energy from Yugi's presence dissipating the farther he walked. He felt cold and sluggish without his hikari by his side, and he didn't care for the loneliness that crept over him as he entered his hotel. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

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><p>Yugi Mutou paced outside the Mandarin hotel.<p>

He scuffed his shoes down the sidewalk as he tried to muster the courage to enter the gilded carousel doors but, his stomach churned every time he rounded the valet station and remembered that Yami Atemu, the _King of Games_, was waiting for him somewhere inside.

A black town car pulled up as Yugi made another lap, and the driver scurried to open the door for a dark haired man with a cellphone plastered to his ear. The man was dressed in full business attire, and the label on his suit wasn't the first luxury brand Yugi had noticed since arriving outside the Mandarin fifteen minutes ago.

Yugi glanced at his cellphone, noting he had four minutes until three o'clock, and saw a text from Anzu.

_have fun! take a breath & be urself (:_

Yugi took her advice, breathing deep and settling his nerves. He shoved his cellphone back into his pocket. _You can do this,_ he told himself. _He's just a person – just like you. You're going to hang out and, then you're going to go home and help Jii-chan do inventory. No big deal – just a normal day._

The valet was grinning and nudged his partner as they watched Yugi press through the hotel doors at last, stepping into the Mandarin's lobby. White walls, crown molding, and cathedral ceilings greeted Yugi as he walked past the reception desk, his shoes squeaking on the waxed wooden floors. There was a bar off to his left, and he swung behind a plant as he noticed Yami seated there, speaking to the business man who had entered the hotel just before Yugi.

_I can't do this_, Yugi thought. The older boy unsettled him, scared him even. At first, he'd thought it had been his title. Yugi had recognized the boy as soon as he entered the café yesterday, and as a longtime fan of the ironfisted duelist champion, he had thought his nerves were just due to Yami's celebrity status. However, when the boy had touched him, Yugi knew it was more than that.

The power that filled him when Yami had touched his skin had been a dark, seductive smoke. It had filled his limbs, weighing him down in a delicious heat that spread from his head to his toes. It had been greedy, all-consuming, and undeniable, and by the time Yugi had regained his senses, Yami was leaning on his shoulder as if trying to emerge from the same current.

_I am just going to go home and tell Anzu that we had a great time, and that's that_, Yugi thought. He wanted to leave this place, hole up in his room with his textbooks, and study an ancient world far away from here. The energy that he'd felt yesterday had been dark, maybe even evil, and the scariest thing of all was how much Yugi had yearned to feel that same power fill him again.

The younger boy was just about to make a break for it when a hand came down on his shoulder. Jerking in surprise, Yugi turned to find the King of Games in front of him, his skin tingling under Yami's hand. The older boy was several inches taller than him and, he had to look up to meet the boy's crimson eyes.

"Hi," Yugi said, willing himself not to blush under Yami's stare.

"Hello," Yami said. His slid his hand from Yugi's shoulder, brushing his fingers down the younger boy's arm.

"I was…" Yugi said, trailing off. How was he going to explain his hiding place behind the lobby greenery? The business man was gone, and he wondered how long he'd kept Yami waiting. Guilt flooded him as he realized how close he'd been to standing up the boy. "Sorry, I am late."

Yami nodded. "Would you like to walk with me?" he said. "There is a park nearby."

"Sure," Yugi said. If they were moving at least he would feel less awkward under Yami's scrutiny. "It's Kai Park, right? My friend and I used to hang out there all the time when we were growing up." He and Anzu spent most of their high school days camped out at the park's picnic tables, sharing sweets and studying as they ignored the bullies who taunted him from the park's athletic field.

The pair pushed onto the street, and the autumn sun warmed them as they walked down the sidewalk. Domino University was only a few blocks away, and the street was busy with people, many students, as they crossed the road.

"You've lived in Domino your whole life?" Yami asked. He was wearing black jeans and a grey t-shirt. His spiky blonde hair, not unlike Yugi's, gleamed under the sun.

"Yup," Yugi said, "I was born and raised here." He was feeling calmer as they walked, and he chanced a glance at the older boy as they started up the next block. "You were born in Japan too, right?"

"Yes, but my parents emigrated from Egypt right before I was born," he said.

"Really?" Yugi said. "That's amazing!"

"Maybe you can meet them some time," Yami said. "They miss their home, and they relish the chance to discuss it with anyone who will listen." He smiled, seeming more relaxed than Yugi had seen him so far.

"I would like that," Yugi said.

The pair crossed the street into the park, walking under the half-naked trees as leaves brushed against their ankles. Yami pushed his hair from his eyes, and Yugi's stomach fluttered as Yami's gaze slid to his. He smiled at the older boy, and the urge to reach for his hand was unexpected.

It surprised him that he was so affected by Yami. It had been more than a year since his last crush, and Yugi had always thought he was straight. Still, as his arm brushed against the older boy his pulse jumped and heat spread low in his stomach.

"You said that your grandfather owns a store?" Yami said. They passed the park's playground, watching a group of children gathered on the swings before continuing down the path.

"He owns a game shop," Yugi said. "He's actually the one who taught me how to duel. My parents died when I was little so, it's just been him and me for as long as I can remember." A breeze passed them, ruffling the leaves. "I help him out when I can, usually on nights and weekends."

"What about you?" Yugi said. "What do you do when you aren't dueling?"

"I am a major shareholder in my cousin's company. I assist with the operations in the Kyoto offices," Yami said. "We are both visiting Domino for business."

"Oh," Yugi said. Kyoto was more than two hours from Domino by train and more than three by bus. _You already knew he didn't live here_, Yugi told himself. _He's just visiting and then, he will go back to where he came from_.

Dread hit him like a brick. Yami was temporary. He didn't live here and, he was a champion duelist, who traveled the world throughout the year. In fact, Yugi didn't know why the older boy had insisted on meeting him today to begin with, and suddenly, he felt angry. It was a rare emotion but, it flooded him. Why did this boy, who could have anyone he wanted, who was intimidating, dangerous, and beautiful, want to walk into his life, twist his emotions around, and then leave – just like that?

That's what everyone did. They walked into his life, and then walked right out – no warning. Yugi had always prided himself on being a positive person. He didn't believe in letting his past define him but, something was different with Yami. The connection that he felt with the older boy felt so real, almost as if he relaxed around him, he could just cease to exist, content just to linger in Yami's presence.

Yugi felt himself retreating and, the calm that had filled him since they had begun their walk had all but disappeared.

"Are you alright?" Yami said.

Yugi realized that he had stopped walking, and Yami had his hand on his chin, tilting his head up. An energy, dark and heavy, filled him, and Yugi leaned into the older boy's hand, thoughts slipping away. _I'm mad about…something_, Yugi thought, losing his focus as Yami cupped his cheek. _What was it…?_

Yugi knew something was off but, he closed his eyes and relaxed as Yami stepped closer to him. It felt like he was lying under a pile of blankets, the material weighing down his body with a soft, warm pressure. Yami's fingers were rubbing circles on Yugi's back and, his other hand cupped the back of his neck. _This feels nice_, Yugi thought.

Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi, and the older boy smelled like fresh air and sandalwood as Yugi melted into him, resting his head on his chest.

"Tell me your troubles, aibou," Yami said.

His voice sounded like it was coming from both inside Yugi's head and out loud at the same time. Yugi shifted closer to the older boy. He didn't want to talk. He just wanted to stay here and live in this safe, warm space because nothing could go wrong here. It was like spending a lazy morning in bed, taking the first sip of hot chocolate on a snowy day, and finding a lover that fit like a puzzle piece.

"Yugi," Yami said, whispering. His fingers were combing through Yugi's hair, and if they weren't standing, Yugi thought he might drift into dreamland, floating away like a balloon on the breeze.

"I don't want you to leave," Yugi said. Part of him cringed at the desperation in his voice. _But, he doesn't live here_, he thought. His mind churned. _This isn't right - something about this this isn't right. I am in the park…I am in the park and, I am with...Yami. _

Yugi jerked out of Yami's hold, stumbling back a few feet. His mind felt foggy as he looked at the older boy. "I didn't – " he said, stopping. He was embarrassed, confused and groggy, and his body was aching at the loss of Yami's touch. It was as if he had been startled from a deep sleep, heavy lidded and trying to discern reality from the dream.

"Aibou," Yami said. He seemed dazed, his eyes unfocused and shoulders lax as he took a step towards the younger boy. "We need to talk."

"Why did you call me that?" Yugi said. The dregs of the dark energy were fading, and the once warm autumn day cut through him with a teeth chattering chill. He moved back as Yami stepped towards him. "Please don't," he said, holding up his hand to stop Yami's progress. He couldn't think with the older boy too close to him.

Yami stopped. He looked unsure of himself for the first time since Yugi had met him. This wasn't the poised King of Games on television, razor sharp and ruthless, rather this Yami looked younger, hesitant to approach.

The older boy glanced around them. A group had gathered to play soccer across the way, and a couple holding hands passed the two boys, sharing a cigarette as they disappeared around the bend.

"We can't talk here," Yami said. "Come with me."

The soccer game had started, and shouts rang out as the ball shot down the field. Yugi was exhausted, and he just wanted slide under his sheets and close his eyes, surrendering to the darkness.

He didn't trust himself around Yami, and he didn't like the nervous, desperate person he was acting like in the older boy's presence. He had survived much of his life alone, with only his grandfather behind him, and now was not the time to start forming ridiculous attachments to famous duelists with good hair.

"I don't think so," Yugi said. He was feeling more lucid now but, the autumn chill seemed to take up residence in his bones as the sun disappeared behind the clouds, an emptiness filling him.

Yami frowned, and he crossed his arms, looking as if his opponent had just sprung an unexpected magic card, taking a chunk of his life points and all the cards in his hand.

"I need to go," Yugi said. He swallowed, loosening the knot in his throat. "It was nice to see you, Atemu-san." He bowed and turned from the older boy, and was surprised that Yami let him go without comment.

Yugi didn't turn around as he left the park and didn't stop until he could no longer hear the shouts of the soccer players. He checked his phone and saw a text from Anzu but ignored it as he shuffled down the street. It was only a little past four but, he decided he would sneak up the back stairs and take a nap before helping his grandfather in the shop.

He turned into the nearest subway station, descending the steps into the tunnels that ran beneath the city. The early rush hour crowd jostled him as he boarded his train and finding an empty spot, he parked in front of the window.

The doors whooshed closed, and the platform lights blurred before the train plunged into the tunnel, darkness swallowing the car. The cabin was silent as the train bumped down the track but for the briefest moment, Yugi could have sworn he heard Yami's voice in his head.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: This story's focus is all about Yugi and Yami's relationship so, fair warning that there will be no grand duels or big villains popping up. It's all about the puzzleshipping, my friends. Also, I don't intend to include secondary character dialogue except in text or email format. However, if I am feeling inspired by a particular character/pairing, I might do a separate one-shot based in this story's universe.

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

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><p>Yami was dreaming of Yugi Mutou.<p>

Sheets tangled around him, the former pharaoh kicked off the blankets as he descended deeper into unconsciousness. In this dream, his hikari was crying. He was younger than he was now, maybe thirteen, and as he stripped off the shirt of his school uniform, Yami realized the source of Yugi's pain.

Bruises, black and blue, covered Yugi's ribs and chest. The boy limped as he sank into his bed. There was a cut on his side that was bleeding, and he tended to the wound with a first aid kit, wincing as he poured on antiseptic.

Yami could feel the younger boy's sadness and defeat. It consumed him.

"_Where _were_ you?" _Yugi asked him_. _He was angry with him, and his distrust and disappointment fed through their bond. Yami tried to speak but, like all the dreams before it, he was mute as he watched his hikari retreat from him. The younger boy closed his eyes and curled into a ball, his shoulders trembling as he fell further into the darkness.

Yami jerked awake at the sound of his alarm. He silenced the noise as the dream replayed in his mind, and he flinched as he remembered Yugi's accusing tone. Since he'd met him, Yami's dreams had been filled with Yugi's past – funerals of his loved ones, bullies who beat him, losing his best friend to a foster home in another city, and the excruciating isolation of living without part of his soul.

A yami was supposed to protect his hikari, and yet Yami had failed Yugi so much already.

The two had not spoken for six days since their walk. Yami had been replaying it over and over in his head. The day had been going well at first. Yugi was relaxed as they walked, even starting to open up to him, but then something changed. He could feel the moment Yugi had retreated from him. It was like the boy had sliced the connection between them, and Yami had felt every molecule of oxygen squeezed from his lungs.

At that time, it had only been a day, but, despite that, Yami had already started adjusting to Yugi's presence in his mind. Their unformed bond was weak, the slightest tug on his conscious, but the moment that Yugi's presence disappeared, the loss of the younger's boy feedback felt like a belly flop in a pool of concrete.

Yami had reached out for the younger boy, desperate, frantic even, for his hikari's mind to brush against his again. Touching Yugi, Yami was discovering, was an aphrodisiac, and as soon as his fingers were on the boy's skin, he'd felt the heavy coil of pleasure unfurling inside of him, breath returning to his lungs. He had coaxed Yugi back to him and away from the wall the younger boy had erected, and felt their bond spark back to life as his light relaxed into him. His panic faded as Yugi relaxed into him, and the warmth from the boy had filled him, prying the troubled thoughts from his mind and scattering them to the wind.

Then Yugi was gone again and even now, Yami still felt like the wind was being knocked out of him. He had spent the past six days with a hollowness growing inside him, and the bond between his hikari was only a thread now. Flashes of the boy's emotions still brushed against his consciousness every so often but, the longer they were apart, the weaker he felt.

Today was his last scheduled day in Domino but, his cousin, Seto, knew better than anyone that he couldn't leave without Yugi. His cousin had met his mate, Jou, when they were teenagers and after almost three years of circling around one another, Seto had given into the other boy. It was only after his connection with Jou had developed that Seto had regained his shadow magic.

The thought of being separated from Yugi for such an extended period of time was torturous, and Yami couldn't fathom the pain his cousin must have endured when trying to distance himself from Jou. The only reason Yami _had_ managed to give Yugi space to think were the dreams that haunted him at night.

The narrative of his sleep had weaved the story of Yugi's loss. His hikari had lost many of the people that he loved young in life and had been bullied for much of his childhood. Yugi was wary of giving out his trust, let alone his heart, and trying to ram his way through the younger boy's walls wasn't going to get him what he wanted.

He would need to ease the boy into the idea of sharing his soul with another, of opening himself, for better or for worse, to his darker half. Yami knew that Yugi had felt the call of their connection in the park and, the boy's continued attempts to siphon it would do nothing but exhaust him. The bond between a hikari and yami was born within them, a part of them, and continuing to deny the second half of his soul would be an impossible battle for the younger boy.

Yami dressed for the day, pausing as a flash of Yugi's frustration passed through him. The younger boy was discouraged with something. His hikari's frustration had rolled through him several times since their separation, and every time Yami closed his eyes to discern the cause of the boy's irritation, he'd felt the sizzle of the Millennium Puzzle's power. It seemed that Yugi was occupying much of his time with the ancient artifact, and its energy crackled down the bond every time the boy struggled with it.

Yami let his hikari's emotion fade, picking up a piece of paper from his nightstand. With only two local owned game shops in Domino, it had been easy to find the address of Yugi's grandfather's store, and Yami had written down the directions to the Kame Game Shop right after he'd returned from their walk in the park.

The paper had tormented him for the past six days because if anything was worse than being separated from Yugi, it was being separated and knowing where the boy was. However, Yami had remained patient, tapping into his legendary self-control to give the boy distance but, today it was long past the time to be reunited with his light.

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><p>Yugi was struggling.<p>

Fumbling with one of the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle, he tried to slide it into place until realizing it was the wrong shape for the slot. He sighed, dropping the piece with the others, and resisted the urge to lay his head on the desk and close his eyes.

Yugi was tired. He'd hadn't slept much since meeting Yami last week, and he'd been finding it difficult to concentrate, let alone make progress with the puzzle. Still, he'd found himself sitting at his desk more than usual the past few days, trying to make sense of the glimmering pieces spread in front of him. Working on the puzzle had always comforted him, and each time he sifted through the pieces, his problems seemed to drift away.

Rain slated down his bedroom window, grey light slanting across his desk as he studied the remaining pieces. He had been working on the Millennium Puzzle for more than three years now and while the number of pieces had grown fewer, he still had a handful to go before he'd be finished, and they'd been the trickiest pieces yet.

He leaned back in his desk chair, staring at the ceiling. He had class in a few hours and homework that he hadn't even started but, every time he hunkered down to go over an assignment, his mind had been wondering to a certain Duel Monster's champion.

After he'd returned home from his walk with Yami, Yugi had curled up in bed, trying to sleep but, he'd found himself wracked with guilt. _What is _wrong_ with you?_ he asked himself for the thousandth time. He didn't know what it was about Yami that made him act so crazy. His grandfather had raised him to treat others with kindness and respect, but every time Yugi was around older boy, it was like his brain took an early lunch.

He had thought about returning to the hotel to apologize for his abrupt departure at the park but, he realized that he wasn't likely to get the room number of the King of Games from the concierge. That, and he was terrified of what other stupid things he would do if he ended up alone in a room with the older boy.

Yugi sighed, gathering up the puzzle pieces and nestling them in their box. The metal rattled inside as he stored it in his desk drawer and pulled out his textbooks. He stared at his reading, determined to concentrate, but found his thoughts slipping after the first line. He restarted. It took him five failed attempts before he closed the book, sighing as his phone buzzed on his nightstand.

He crossed the room and sat on his bed, checking the text from his friend, Ryou. The boy had been texting him several times a day since the disaster in the park. He and Anzu were both worried by their friend's sudden lack of focus and sleep, and they had taken to checking up on him whenever they could.

_Did you finish the history homework? –R_

Yugi replied and laid back on his sheets, willing himself to fall into a true deep sleep. He felt exhausted, and no matter how much he'd slept the past week, his dreams had been restless, filled with dark fog and Yami's voice whispering in his ear, his lips on his neck, hands tracing his skin. He'd woken the past six days sweating and hard beneath the covers, feeling as if he hadn't gotten a wink of rest despite the hours of unconsciousness.

He checked Ryou's reply as his phone vibrated beside him.

_See you in class? –R_

Sending a response, Yugi closed his eyes again. Ryou had been his best friend since secondary school, when the two boys banded together after recognizing their top target status for the school's bullies. Like him, Ryou didn't have many people in his life, and after years of having each other's back, it was second nature to keep an eye on each other. Yugi felt bad for worrying him but, if he could just get a good night's sleep and forget about ever meeting Yami Atemu, he was sure he would be fine.

* * *

><p>Yami ascended the stairs of the Mutou residence.<p>

Yugi's grandfather, Sugoroku, a stocky man with white spiked hair and overalls, had recognized him the moment that he'd entered the game shop, bowing deep before shaking Yami's hand. After explaining the connection to his grandson, the older man had called for Yugi at the base of the steps but, the boy didn't emerge from the Mutou apartment. Sugoroku had waved Yami up the steps, unable to leave the shop unattended, but reminding him to admonish his grandson for keeping his connection with the Duel Monsters champion a secret.

The steps creaked as Yami reached the front door. He knocked, listening as footsteps approached then paused before the door swung open. Yugi looked as worn as Yami felt as he peered into the hallway, his eyes widening at the older boy's unexpected appearance.

"Atemu-san!" Yugi said. He opened the door wider, inviting the older boy in. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you," Yami said, stepping inside. "You said your grandfather owned a game shop so, I looked it up, and he said you were here."

Yugi shut the door behind him, and looked up at the older boy. "I'm actually glad you came," Yugi said, smoothing out his shirt. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about last week. I shouldn't have just left in the middle of our walk. It was really rude of me."

"Don't apologize," Yami said, "I should have respected your space."

Yugi fiddled with one of his shirt buttons. "It really wasn't about that," he said. "I just - I don't know. I freaked out, I guess."

He led the older boy further into the apartment, entering the family kitchen. It was a tiny room, with blue walls and worn wooden floors. Yugi offered him a chair at the table, and he watched his hikari rummage through the cabinets as he took a seat.

"Tea?" Yugi asked, emerging with a container of leaves.

"I think I learned my lesson the last time I tried to drink tea with you around," Yami said, teasing, hoping to ease his hikari's nerves. The younger boy was a bundle of anxiety, and Yami wished he would sit down. The longer Yugi stood, the more exhausted he seemed.

"Right," Yugi said, distracted. He put down the container, eyes finding Yami's.

"Yugi," Yami said, "sit with me."

His hikari sank into the chair next to him. "Sorry," he said. "I am just tired. I don't even know what I am doing half the time lately."

"Trouble sleeping?" Yami said.

"Something like that," Yugi said. He rubbed his eyes, slumping in his chair.

"Yugi?" Yami said, watching the younger boy. He was hesitant to reach out to him even though every part of him screamed to do so. "Are you okay?"

With his yami in front him, it would be much more difficult for his light to fight the bond. The connection between a hikari and yami was built on shared mental and physical space. It would develop the longer that the pair was together, and every second they sat in the same room, sharing space, their connection would grow, becoming that much harder to deny.

However, the bond could only grow to full maturity when both halves were in alignment, accepting their roles as part of one soul. Until then, physical touch would anchor the pair to one another, easing the stress of the half formed bond by supplementing their mental connection.

"I'm fine," Yugi said, yawning. It seemed only force of will kept him from sliding out of his chair. "I've just been busy with school lately. It's getting close to midterms."

Yami shared the younger boy's exhaustion. It weighed down on him like concrete blocks stacked on his shoulders. It had been hard enough when Yugi was apart from him, but now that they were sitting in the same room, he just wanted to feel his hikari's mind brush against his. The bond was repairing itself the longer they sat together but, it would be expedited if his light reached out for him, showing just the smallest gesture of acceptance.

The two boys settled back in their chairs, both fighting the fatigue that hung like smog in the air. Both were silent as they slipped into their own thoughts

"I'm sorry," Yugi said, straightening. "I'm being rude again."

"Your apology is unnecessary. We are both distracted," Yami said.

Yugi sighed. He propped his head on his hand, studying the older boy "I'm really not doing very well at this, am I?" he said.

Yami was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I am just not usually such a – spaz," Yugi said. "At first, I thought it was because you're, well, famous, but I don't think that's really it."

"How would you describe it?" Yami said, wondering how much of his suspicions the younger boy would share.

"I'm really not sure," Yugi said. "It's hard to explain."

Yami wasn't surprised that his hikari didn't mention the energy that he must have been feeling whenever Yami was around him. It was one thing to suspect magic and another entirely to admit it out loud. Yami had been raised with the knowledge of his magic. It had been snapping at its chains since he was a child, and even though he could never access it, the dark energy had been a constant presence in his life.

Still, when his mother had told him the truth of his past on his thirteenth birthday, it had been difficult to take in – ancient powers, another part of his soul, destined to save the world. It hadn't fully sunk in until Seto had met Jou more than two years later.

As one of the ancient priests who had sealed the millennium items thousands of years ago, Seto had been reborn as a safeguard for the universe, meant to keep a constant watch on the holders of the millennium items and their power. The weight of his duty had settled heavy on his cousin from an early age, and he'd become cold and distant as the years passed. By the time he turned fifteen, Seto had become unable to access his magic, the darkness of his isolation having tainted his soul. Then, Jou appeared.

Jou was not a hikari but, magic was part of his and Seto's bond. The boy was the light to his cousin's darkness and, it was Jou that had pulled Seto back from the edge and freed him from the shadows that had bound him for so long. When it came to love, it seemed, there was a magic all its own.

"My feelings are the same," Yami said. "I've felt something – unique - between the two of us since we met in the café." He met the younger boy's eyes. Yugi wasn't ready for the truth of their connection, not yet. "That's why I will be staying in Domino for the time being."

"But, what about your job?" Yugi said, startled.

"I will work from the Domino offices," Yami said. "I meant what I said in the café. I want to know you and, I have no intention of leaving any time soon."

Yugi sat back in his chair, biting his lip. "I'd like that too," he said. His cheeks were pink but, he was relaxed as he smiled at the older boy.

The tension from Yami's body faded as he felt Yugi's presence brush against his mind, their bond pulsing with his hikari's small surrender. The relief that flooded him felt like the sun warming his skin, lulling him into the relaxed mental space he was coming to associate with his hikari. His exhaustion returned full force but, he welcomed it as it weighed down his limbs in a bleary tranquility. He closed his eyes, Yugi's conscious still brushing his, magic sparking under his skin at his light's energy.

Magic, Yami's mother had once told him, cannot exist without balance. To be able to control the dark energy of the shadow realm meant having a partner with enough light to reach through the darkness. That's what a hikari was, his mother had explained, a reason to seek out the light even when he thought the darkness had already consumed him.

Yami's felt his hikari's hand touch his, and his eyes shot open as he realized he'd started to doze off.

"Nice nap?" Yugi said, teasing. He kept his hand on Yami's for a second, his warmth spiraling though the older boy before withdrawing. "I have to go to class now, but do you want to walk with me? It's not too far from here."

Yami nodded, groggy, as Yugi went to collect his books. He couldn't believe how easy it was becoming to relax in the younger boy's presence. Yami had never considered himself an open person, even before he'd been crowned the King of Games, but he was finding that when it came to Yugi, he was willing to let down all of his walls.

"Ready?" Yugi said, a backpack slung over his shoulder.

_More than you know, aibou. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

><p>Yugi was finding it hard to concentrate with Yami sitting next to him.<p>

It had been a month since the younger boy had first met the King of Games, and after Yami's initial visit three weeks ago, the older boy had become a reoccurring visitor in the Mutou apartment. The pair was currently seated in Yugi's living room, a long, squat space with green carpet and a row of windows that opened to the street, darkening as dusk fell. The boys sat at the coffee table, Yugi working on a class assignment and Yami sorting through his duel deck.

Yugi glanced over at Yami as he studied the card in his hand with same intense stare that always made Yugi blush whenever it turned on him. The older boy sorted the card into one of the many piles he had started, building the different magic, trap, and monster cards into strategic sequences for a tournament next week.

Yami's eyes slid to the Yugi's as he sorted another card, smirking as he caught the younger boy's stare. Yugi's stomach fluttered, caught, and he bit his lip to hide his smile, turning back to his book. He stared at the words on the page, but they turned into alphabet soup as Yami's leg brushed against his.

Yugi expected the energy that rolled through him at the older boy's touch, but the power, dark and heavy, didn't scare him anymore. It had taken a few days together but now, the younger boy felt at ease around Yami and, he relaxed, warmth spiraling through him as Yami's leg settled against his. The more time he spent with him, the more Yugi realized that Yami's presence was actually kind of calming, protective even, and Yugi had found himself giving into the older boy's unassuming charm more and more each time they were together.

"What do you think of this?" Yami said, breaking Yugi's thoughts. He pointed to one of the sequence piles in front of him.

Yugi squinted at the monster and magic card pairing across the table. "Personally, I think you should add this," he said, pointing to a trap card in another sequence, "with Elf Swordsman and Lighting Storm because even though Lightning Storm boosts Elf Swordsman's attack points, you can't attack until your next turn. And, if your opponent summons something more powerful in the meanwhile, you could lose your monster and a chunk of your life points."

The older boy was smirking at him again.

"What?" Yugi said. He glanced back at the cards, but couldn't find any problems with his idea.

"I didn't know you knew so much about Duel Monsters," Yami said. He added the trap card that Yugi had suggested to the sequence.

"I told you that my grandfather taught me," Yugi said, shrugging. "I mean, I live above a game shop."

"But, you refuse to duel me," Yami said.

"You're the Duel Monster's champion!" Yugi said. "You'd destroy me."

Yami shook his head, picking up another card, and something clicked in Yugi's mind.

"You were testing me!" Yugi said, realizing the intention of Yami's question. "You just wanted to figure out how difficult of a challenge I would be in a duel."

Yami shrugged, sorting his next card. "Trickery comes with the title, aibou."

Yugi felt his face heating up at the nickname. "I wish you would stop calling me that," he said.

"And I wish you would duel with me," Yami said. "I think it would prove interesting for us both." The look Yami gave him felt like the older boy was imagining something much less platonic than a simple Duel Monster's game, and Yugi shifted as he felt a part of himself stirring against his thigh.

The younger boy looked back at his textbook, willing himself to stop blushing. No matter how much time he spent with Yami, it seemed like the older boy always knew just what to say to turn his mind into mush.

Yugi picked up his reading, finding a groove as he managed his way through two of the assigned chapters. His class was in the midst of the Stone Age, but Yugi had long skipped ahead to read the later chapters on ancient Egypt, finding no mention of the Millennium Puzzle.

No matter how many times he and Ryou, who owned a gold ring with the same eye symbol that was inscribed on Millennium Puzzle, scoured the library, neither of them could find any mention of millennium items in any of the Egypt literature, even the graduate level research. It was as if the millennium items did not exist, and Yugi was starting to wonder if his grandfather had been right about the puzzle's origin.

Yami hadn't mentioned the puzzle since the day that they met in the café, and though his grandfather had warned him against discussing the puzzle with others, valuable as it was, Yugi was curious what the older boy knew.

"Yami?" Yugi said. "Do you remember the puzzle I mentioned a while back? The one my grandfather gave me?"

"Yes, I remember," Yami said, poker faced as always. "What about it?"

"Do you know anything about it? I was wondering because you said your parents were from Egypt, and you seemed interested when I mentioned it before," Yugi said.

Yami was silent for a moment, putting down the card in his hand. "There was a legend about a puzzle that my mother used to tell me as a child," he said. "It was about an ancient pharaoh who was one of seven who owned items with mystical properties. They were known as millennium items."

Yugi nodded, excitement growing. "My grandfather told me the puzzle he gave me was known as the Millennium Puzzle, but I could never find anything about it online or anywhere else."

"The pharaoh's puzzle was said to grant ancient magic to he who wore it. Shadow magic, it was called," Yami said. "As the story goes, the pharaoh sealed his soul in the puzzle with the help of an ancient priest so that he could one day be reborn and gain full use of his powers in order to save the world."

"Wow," Yugi said. "It's too bad that I am not nearly cool enough to be an ancient pharaoh…" He smiled. "I'm glad that you've heard of it though – I swear that I've been researching the puzzle since I got it three years ago and, I've never found anything."

Yugi returned to his work, mind still buzzing over finally uncovering something about the puzzle's mysterious origins. _Ryou and I should try looking through some of the legend books in the stacks and see if we can find anything about the puzzle or his ring_, Yugi thought, excited at the lead Yami had given him.

"In truth, the puzzle wasn't told to be reborn with the pharaoh," Yami said, distracting Yugi from forming his new research plan of attack.

"What happened to it then?" the younger boy asked.

"It was destined to find its way to his hikari," Yami said.

Yugi's forehead wrinkled in confusion. He'd never heard the term mentioned in any of Egyptian folklore. "Is that a person?" he said.

Yami paused. He picked up one his cards, and then set it back down, meeting the younger boy's eyes. "A hikari is the pharaoh's soul mate, his light, so to speak. He is meant keep the shadows of the shadow realm at bay so the pharaoh may fight the darkness without fear when the time comes."

"Oh," Yugi said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm not going to have an ancient pharaoh showing up at my door anytime soon, right?" He smiled, but it faded as Yami remained silent.

_What's _with_ him? _Yugi wondered.

"Would you permit me to see it?" Yami said. "Your puzzle that is."

The younger boy hesitated, but realized it was silly to be worried about showing Yami the puzzle. It wasn't like the older boy was going to steal it, and if he did, being the King of Games didn't make him exactly incognito.

"Sure," Yugi said. "Hold on a sec." He grabbed the box from his desk drawer, returning to the living room and placing it on the table. He pulled out the somewhat completed pyramid and the pieces he still had left to use. "I'm so close to finishing but, I've still got these to go," he said, spreading the pieces out in front of Yami.

The older boy looked stricken as Yugi placed the puzzle in front of him, his face paling as he reached out then stopped, looking unsure. "May I?" he asked.

Yugi nodded, curious to Yami's caution.

Yami reached out for the biggest piece, his fingers brushing the eye emblazoned there. He froze, a shudder racking through him before he jerked away as if burned.

"Are you okay?" Yugi said, concerned as the other boy took a shaky breath.

"I'm fine," Yami said, but he sounded shaken, continuing to stare at the piece as if transfixed.

"Are you sure? That's never happened before. It looked like the puzzle shocked you," Yugi said.

"I'm fine," Yami repeated, looking away from the piece at last. "I do hope you show me the puzzle when you've completed it though."

"Sure," Yugi said. He put the puzzle back in the box, returning it to his room in case his grandfather came upstairs and had a heart attack when he saw that he'd been showing the Mutou treasure to a guest. He didn't even know that Ryou knew about it. When Yugi returned to the living room, Yami was standing, looking out one of the now dark windows, shoulders tense.

Yugi joined him, looking down at the foot traffic that passed beneath them as people toted briefcases and backpacks to the subway stop down the block. The street had always been a busy one, and most of his grandfather's business came from the constant flow of traffic right out their front door.

"Come with me to the duel next week," Yami said, breaking the silence between the boys.

"You mean to Tokyo? That's a six hour trip," Yugi said, confused by the boy's sudden request. "And, I have class on Friday. You know that."

"Skip it," Yami said. His voice was hard, even detached, as he continued to stare out the window.

Yugi turned to face the older boy, hesitating. "I can't just skip," he said, "My grandfather has worked so hard for me to be able to go to university. I can't just ignore that by not showing up."

Yami was silent.

"What's this about?" Yugi said. "Are you nervous about the duel?" Yugi didn't know anything about being a world class duelist but, he'd guessed it was a pretty nerve wracking experience, especially holding the title Yami did. And, even though Yami was normally all confidence, every so often over the past few weeks Yugi had seen glimpses of the older boy's vulnerable side.

They had been brief snippets – the way his laughter cracked through his normally composed façade, the look he gave Yugi that made the rest of the world fall away, the way his voice gentled when he was on the phone with his mother, reminding Yugi of the young man that he still was. It was seeing this softer side of the duelist champion that made Yugi want to show him the softer side of him too, and the more they were together, the more Yugi could feel himself emerging from his own walls as the older boy came out from behind his own.

Yami turned from the window as Yugi stepped towards him. The older boy looked anxious and unsure, like he had those weeks ago in the park when Yugi had pushed away from him, and though Yami was several inches taller than him, he seemed small as he met the younger boy's eyes.

Yugi didn't like the anxiety that washed over him as he looked in Yami's eyes. It wasn't his own nerves he felt, it was the older boy's that flashed through his mind. It was like he was feelingYami's unease as if there was a direct link from Yami's brain to his, transmitting emotions like instant messages through cyberspace.

The older boy was tense about something, something out of his hands, and something sparked inside of Yugi as he felt the older boy's struggle. Yam's stress seemed to slither beneath his skin, making him itch to do anything to distract him.

That's when Yugi stood up on his toes and kissed him.

It had just been a quick peck on the lips. The younger boy hadn't even known what had possessed him to do it in the first place, but then Yami's hands were on his shoulders, drawing him closer, and Yugi's eyes closed, his thoughts slipping away.

Yami's lips moved against his, soft and firm, as one of his hands cupped the back of Yugi's neck. The older boy's tongue pressed against his lips, and Yugi opened for him, tasting him for the first time.

Electricity tingled under his skin, heat curling down his spine, and Yugi wondered how it was possible to feel so alive and so taken at the same time. He wound his arms around Yami's neck, deepening the kiss as he pressed himself against the older boy, his fingers tangling in Yami's hair.

It was like time had stopped around them and, the thought of card games and ancient puzzles seemed like a distant memory as Yami's fingers played down his back. Sparks danced under Yugi's skin as the older boy claimed his mouth, dark energy rolling through him like an old friend, heavy and possessive as it filled him.

The need for oxygen separated the two, and Yugi struggled for breath as he steadied himself. His head was spinning from the kiss, thoughts twisting into unintelligible fragments as he touched his lips, still warm from Yami's.

Yugi had kissed people before, but kissing Yami had felt like something else entirely. It was like if they'd stayed together just a little bit longer, he could have floated from his body, both minds twining together until it was impossible to tell whose thoughts were whose.

"Was that – okay?" Yugi asked. He wasn't sure what had inspired such a bold act but, he felt sheepish as he looked up at the older boy, coming down from the high.

"Yes, aibou," Yami said. His gaze was intense, and Yugi felt himself flushing. "That was more than okay."

"Okay," Yugi said, giving a small smile. He straightened his shirt, his heart still pounding in his chest. "We should probably get back to it," he said. His blush deepened. "To studying, I mean."

Yami nodded, following the younger boy back to the table. The two returned to their work, but Yugi's mind wondered the moment he opened his book again, his thoughts filled with the taste of Yami, the boy's fingers roaming his back, body flesh against his.

Yami looked up as if sensing his thoughts, smirking at him across the table. Yugi felt butterflies again, words spinning on the page, as Yami's leg pressed against his once more.

He was really going to have to start studying alone if he was going to make it through exams. 

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **There is no Lightning Storm magic card in Duel Monsters that forces you to wait one turn before attacking, total artistic liberty by me.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **All of your reviews are really sweet, and I appreciate every one of them. They really make my day! :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<br>**

* * *

><p>Yami was in the middle of a duel when Yugi solved the Millennium Puzzle.<p>

The duelist champion had been playing a semi-final match in Tokyo as part an Industrial Illusion tournament after receiving a personal invitation from the company's CEO, Pegasus. The final match of the tournament was to be played against Pegasus himself, and Yami hadn't been able to refuse the opportunity to duel the soul stealer.

The King of Games had been looking to unseat the corporate executive and wielder of the Millennium Eye since Yami had first learned about his lineage as pharaoh six years ago. Pegasus' reputation for banishing innocent souls to the Shadow Realm was well known among the community of those who kept the secret of the Millennium items.

Yami had been forced to leave Yugi in Domino for the four day tournament, aching from the distance between them, but hoping to leave with the constant threat of Pegasus' power eliminated.

Yami was about to play the card to seal his opponent's fate when Yugi solved the puzzle. He knew the particular moment his hikari slid in the final piece because it was at that exact moment that his knees gave out from under him, the bonds of his shadow magic snapping free. The noise from the once buzzing arena died as Yami hit the floor, his cards slipping from his hand.

His opponent, an American with blonde pigtails, disappeared from sight as he crumpled behind his podium, catching himself with his hands.

Yami had lived with his shadow magic his entire life, but the moment its binds were released, he realized how little he knew about the darkness inside of him or how to control it. Pain, raw and angry, burned through him and, he slumped forward as the darkness flooded his veins.

The power screeched its way through his body, and his hands gave way as he slipped to the floor. He hadn't known pain could like this – so consuming, so dark, so _evil_.

The tiles were cold against his cheek as he laid on the ground, the chill seeping through his clothes, anchoring his mind to his body as he sought to escape, anywhere away from the darkness, the pain.

He couldn't feel Yugi. He couldn't feel anything.

Hands grasped his arms as someone flipped him over. The person, a medic maybe, shined a light in his eyes, testing pupillary responses but, Yami closed his eyes. There was no sound. There was no light. There was only silence and a darkness that dragged him into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>The last time Yugi could remember being this petrified was the day that his parents died. He had been nine years old and trembling as he sat in the back of a government van as Child Services took him to see his mother on her deathbed. His grandfather had been on a dig in Egypt, and Yugi had been alone as his life crumbled in the span of a few hours.<p>

Yugi pushed through the crowd of reporters outside the hospital doors, sprinting through the lobby. He was frantic for the elevators. He spotted them across the way and ran to catch the closing doors, bumping someone on the way. He couldn't even find the words to apologize as his mind turned, adrenaline racing through him.

The second that he had solved the Millennium Puzzle, dread had hit him like a punch in the gut. He had thought he would be exhilarated to have completed the three year challenge, but instead he felt panic, instantaneous and paralyzing panic. It was like someone had reached into him and yanked out a piece, leaving him aching for its return.

He had sat frozen in his chair as he'd tried to calm down, fingers playing over the puzzle. Then, his phone had rung – unknown caller. He'd answered it.

The voice on the other end had been all business as the man started dropping bombs. Yami is being taken to the hospital. No, he is not okay. Yugi needs to get on the next train to Tokyo with the Millennium Puzzle. Yes, I know about the puzzle. This is his cousin, Seto Kaiba. No, this is not a joke.

Yugi had replayed the conversation over and over again on the six hour train ride to Tokyo. Ryou had been Yugi's first call after Seto had hung up, and his friend had met him at the train station twenty minutes later, paying the ¥40,000 ticket with his father's credit card. Ryou's father, absent in every way but financially, wouldn't even notice the charge.

Then came the waiting. The six hour ride had passed second by second as Yugi's mind turned. He didn't even know what was wrong with Yami. Seto had been short and vague on the phone, only telling him that Yami was unconscious and that Yugi needed to get himself to the hospital immediately.

_What if he's dead?_ Yugi had wondered more than once on the train and cab ride to the hospital, and again as the elevator clicked up floors with excruciating slowness. He hadn't been able to bring himself to check the news on his phone, petrified that the headlines would confirm his fear.

Kaiba had texted him Yami's room number, 441, and as the elevator clicked number four, Yugi's stomach was in knots. _He's not dead_, he told himself. _Kaiba wouldn't have told me to come here if he was dead._

As the elevator doors parted, Yugi felt like he had been transported through time as he stepped onto the floor. The smell of latex and bleach burned in his nose, the white walls reminding him of the walk to his mother's room those nine years ago.

His parents had died in a car accident. His father had been dead on the scene but, his mother had survived the trip to the hospital before losing brain function. He'd been holding her hand, pale and cold, when they'd told him she would never wake up.

Yugi whipped past rooms, slowing as he neared 441. There was a stocky man in a suit standing in front of the door, a Kaiba Corp identification badge pinned to his lapel and arms bulging under the custom cut fabric. He eyed Yugi as he approached, demanding his ID when he asked to enter. The man scrutinized the plastic card for a few seconds before confirming his identity, allowing him passage.

The door clicked shut behind him as Yugi entered Yami's room and suddenly, breathing seemed much harder. The room was huge, obviously intended for two patients, but Yami was alone, lying motionless in the bed. Machines beeped around him. His heart rate was steady, and he was breathing on his own, but an IV was set in his arm.

Yugi felt tears pricking his eyes as he looked down at the duelist king. Yami's eyes were closed, his face pale and hair unruly as ever. Yugi sank down in the bedside chair, putting his backpack in his lap. The Millennium Puzzle was the only thing inside.

Kaiba hadn't told him why he was to bring the puzzle, just to do it, and Yugi had been too flustered at the time to question it. The metal was cold in his hands as he removed the artifact from his bag, wondering how it fit into any of this.

He'd been too panicked before but, now he was wondering how Kaiba had even gotten his number, let alone known about the puzzle. He hadn't told Yami that the puzzle was a secret but, why would he tell his billionaire cousin and business partner about it – why would Kaiba even care?

Yugi glanced at Yami's still form, eyes burning as loneliness, empty and tangible, slammed into him. He didn't know what to do. Kaiba wasn't answering his phone. He still didn't know what had happened at the duel. Had Yami passed out or had it been something more than that? There wasn't even a doctor around to tell him what Yami's status was.

Yugi got up, puzzle tucked under his arm, and touched Yami's hand. The older boy's muscles were lax as he threaded their fingers together.

"I don't know what to do," Yugi said, throat tight. "You wanted me to come with you and, I should have."

Yami had continued to insist that Yugi join him in Tokyo for the tournament up to the moment that he'd left, but the younger boy had been firm in his decision. He'd seen Yami off at the train station on Thursday night, promising he'd be right there waiting when he returned on Sunday.

When the older boy kissed him goodbye, his fear had rolled through Yugi, just one of the flashes of Yami that he'd felt every so often since their first kiss last week. At first he'd thought the flashes had been a fluke, but after a dozen of them, he was beginning to question his mental stability. People didn't feel other people's emotions - they just didn't.

_What if he never wakes up? _Yugi asked himself. The thought made his stomach lurch.

He had only known Yami for a month and a half but, the older boy had wormed his way into his life. Yugi had talked to Yami or seen him every day for the past month, and despite his initial anxiety around him, Yami had become a safe haven for the younger boy. He'd started to fill in a hole that Yugi never knew was inside him, and ever since he'd solved the puzzle, Yugi had felt an ache in chest, almost as if his heart was literally breaking to pieces.

He hadn't meant to fall for Yami. He really hadn't, but standing next to the older boy's motionless body, he couldn't deny how deep the bond between them had grown in such a short period.

Yugi cupped Yami's chin, thumb brushing his lips. His tears started full force, and he couldn't stop them as he slumped forward, head resting on Yami's chest.

"Please don't die," Yugi whispered. "Please." His sobs wracked through him. _I can't lose anyone else_.

_/Aibou,/ _Yami said.

Yugi shot up at the sound of Yami's voice, searching the older boy's face for any signs of life. He deflated as Yami remained still. Yugi rubbed his eyes, exhaling a shaky breath.

_/Aibou,/ _Yami repeated.

Yugi dropped his hand, studying the older boy. None of the machines had changed, but he could have sworn he'd heard Yami's voice.

"Yami?" Yugi said, feeling foolish. He ran his fingers through his hair. Yami was silent. He closed his eyes, searching for the corner of his conscious where the flashes of Yami always seemed to pop up. Yugi was seriously concerned about how far he was taking this imaginary mental link, but he had to try. When he'd found the connection, he tried again.

_/Hello?/_ Yugi said in his mind.

_/Yugi,/_ Yami said.

Yugi stumbled back from the bed, almost dropping the Millennium Puzzle in the process. There was no question that Yami's voice had been in his head, and his mind raced at the realization.

_/Touch,/_ Yami said. His voice was quieter now, a whisper against Yugi's conscious.

Yugi approached the bed, taking Yami's hand again. _/Hello?/_ he tried again.

_/Light,/_ Yami said. _/Need./_

The younger boy frowned. _/Light?/_ he asked.

_/You,/_ Yami said. _/Need./_

Yugi had no idea what to make of that and, he now he was definitely sure he was hallucinating, but he tried again.

_/How?/ _Yugi asked. One word answers seemed easiest as he felt strangely exhausted as he tried to talk to the spirit that could have been either Yami or a figment of his imagination.

_/Puzzle,/ _Yami said. The older boy's voice was weary as the word stuttered across Yugi's mind.

Again, Yugi was stumped. _What does the Millennium Puzzle have to do with any of this? _he wondered. He dropped Yami's hand, and picked up the puzzle.

"Hello?" he asked the puzzle, feeling like an idiot.

The puzzle was silent, a cold inanimate object, and Yugi sat back into the bedside chair. He turned the puzzle in his hands, noticing the eye emblazoned on the puzzle's front, remembering Yami's reaction to it last week. Yugi brushed the symbol with his fingers but, unlike the rest of the puzzle, it was warm under his hand.

"Can you help me?" Yugi asked the puzzle. He felt ridiculous but, this entire situation was ridiculous, crazy even. "Hello!" he said, louder, rattling the puzzle. "Can you do anything or are you just useless?"

Yugi froze as light filled the room. He squinted in the blinding beam that spilled from the puzzle and filled the room, forcing him to close his eyes as he flinched back. The light faded after a few seconds, and Yugi's body felt like gelatin, trembling and weak as the light dimmed behind his eyelids.

When Yugi opened his eyes, adjusting to the light, he wasn't in the hospital anymore. He was in another place entirely.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

><p>Yami had never been so cold in his entire life.<p>

Trembling, he folded his arms across his chest, darkness surrounding him as he shivered. He had woken up what he guessed to be a few hours ago but, it was hard to tell time while sitting in complete darkness. The longer he sat, blind in the shadows, the slower time seemed to move.

The older boy had never been in his soul room but, as soon he'd felt his shadow magic surrounding him, alive and slithering around his ankles, Yami knew where he'd been trapped. He had stumbled through the labyrinth of stairs, doors, and hallways, fumbling in the dark, for what felt like hours before sinking to the floor. He was drained and, the puzzle's magic was apparent - he wasn't going anywhere without his light to guide him.

It had seemed like hours since Yami had last felt Yugi's presence in his mind after they had exchanged thoughts for the first time. His light's aura had been warm against his as they spoke through their mind link, like sinking into a hot bath, soaking in the soothing heat.

Yami had been surprised by Yugi's tug on their bond. His hikari had never given him any inclination that he was aware of the magic that connected them, and Yami dreaded having to explain the secret he'd been keeping from the younger boy.

His decision to keep Yugi in the dark had been the only logical option. The younger boy had been too wary of him at the start and, telling him the truth of their bond, and that he had no chance of denying it, would have only backed Yugi into a corner.

So, Yami had been taking his time, drawing in his hikari, easing him into their bond. However, the time had come to reveal the truth. The older boy could tell from their connection that Yugi's feelings for him were strong and growing, and it was a cruelty to deny his hikari the truth any longer. The intense pull between a hikari and yami was ingrained within them, and he could feel Yugi's confusion and fear the more that the magic became a part of him.

Yami lay back on the stone floor. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically drained, but closing his eyes and turning his back on the shadows that slinked in the darkness was enough to keep his eyes open.

Seto had warned him of the possibility of being trapped in the puzzle when Yami had first told him about discovering his hikari, but Yami hadn't anticipated how lonely it would be sitting in the shadows, waiting for Yugi to find him. His cousin had told him that he and the rest of Yami's family wouldn't interfere if he was taken by the puzzle, and Yugi's anguish had felt intense enough that Yami knew that his cousin had kept to his word.

The destiny of a hikari and yami had been written in the foundation of their existence, and interference from anyone else would only delay destiny.

As he laid on the floor, shadows whispered to Yami, sweet nothings in his ears. Come with us, they said. Come where there is no pain. The older boy flinched as his magic lashed out at him, burning under his skin.

The shadows wanted free reign and, they weren't happy by the containment. However, the pharaoh of legend couldn't be allowed to walk free with so much dark power and only an incomplete bond with his hikari keeping him in check. Seto had reminded him of that when Yami had first met Yugi, and Yami had known the risk when he'd begun his slow pursuit of the boy.

Yami just hoped that Yugi wouldn't leave him in the darkness when he learned the truth.

* * *

><p>Yugi was in his bedroom, or something close to it.<p>

The room was painted a pale blue, the same shade his mother had painted it when he was a baby but in reality, he had painted over many years ago. His furniture was all there but, the window that overlooked his desk was missing, and the door was on another wall entirely.

Yugi stood up from his desk chair. When he'd opened his eyes a few minutes ago, he'd been sitting at his desk, puzzle gone from his hands, and for a few blissful seconds, he'd thought the whole thing had been a nightmare. Then, he'd realized his missing window and, his hopes had disintegrated. He really was losing it.

He walked to the door. While his door at home was wooden, this one was metal, and the handle was cold under his hand as he pulled. It didn't budge.

Yugi rattled the handle, starting to panic. _Am I locked in here? _he wondered. He yanked harder, putting all his weight into it, and the door creaked open. It took him a few seconds to jerk the door all the way open, the hinges screeching each time he pulled, as if it they hadn't been put to work in years.

Yugi poked his head in the hallway, the light from his room slanting across the floor, illuminating the dark, narrow space. There was an identical metal door right in front of him, but it was too dark to see where the rest of the hall led.

Walking back to his desk, Yugi rummaged in his drawer for the flashlight he kept there at home, and returned to the doorway. Shining the light in both directions, he could see the hall was a dead end on either side. _The only way out is through, I guess_. Yugi thought.

He stepped into the hallway, shivering as the air, cold as ice, nipped his skin. He held the flashlight in one hand as he worked the door open, but it took him a few minutes to make a space large enough for him to slip through. He ducked inside the room, eyes adjusting to the darkness.

Yugi fumbled with his flashlight, scanning the room with the beam of light. The space was massive, with stone ceilings that towered above him, and enough stairwells and doors to make him dizzy. It was freezing inside, and Yugi yearned for the warmth of his bedroom doppelganger.

"Hello?" he said. His voice sounded small as it echoed through the room. "Yami?"

He walked further in, keeping an eye on the door. He was terrified to get lost in the stone maze. Something scurried off to the side, and he swung the flashlight to see but, whatever it was had disappeared. A cold sweat broke over him as he approached one of the stairwells.

"Yami?" he said, voice carrying up the steps. There was a noise at the top, and Yugi pounded up the stairs.

He found Yami laying in the middle of the floor.

"Oh my god," Yugi said. He dropped to his knees next to the older boy. "Are you okay?" He shined the flashlight over the Yami, finding no injuries, but lowering the light as the older boy flinched as it hit his eyes.

"I'm cold, aibou," Yami said. He sounded far away, his hand weak as he grabbed for Yugi's shirt.

"We need to get out of here," Yugi said. "Come on. I'll help you." He tucked the flashlight in the waistband of his jeans, light hitting the ceiling. He hated this place. It felt like it was leeching the life out of him the longer he stood there.

Yugi helped Yami sit up, and with some difficult maneuvering, he got the older boy to his feet. Yami was shivering as he leaned on Yugi's shoulder.

"Where are we?" Yugi said, urging Yami to walk.

"My soul room," Yami said. His feet were clumsy as they reached the stairs and, Yugi helped him sit back on the top step so he could slide down them one at a time.

Yugi didn't know what a soul room was but, he knew that he needed to get Yami away from this place. The older boy didn't sound like himself, and his skin was icy under Yugi's hands. He guided Yami down the steps, slow and steady, but by the time they reached the bottom, Yami could barely keep his head up.

"It's just a little bit farther," Yugi said. He got Yami to his feet, and the older boy hung on his shoulder. Handling Yami, who was taller and heavier than him, was tough. Yugi was sweating by the time that they got to the door, having half dragged Yami the rest of the way.

He started to help Yami through the exit when the older boy dug in his heels.

"What are you doing?" Yugi said. He could see the light from the room where he'd waken up across the hall. It slanted just far enough to reach the doorway.

"I can't go," Yami said. His teeth were chattering now, and he tried pulling back from Yugi's shoulder.

"We have to," Yugi said. He gripped Yami's arm as the older boy tried to back away. "We need to go across the hall. There are blankets in there and, it's a lot warmer. You're not thinking straight."

"The shadows," Yami said. He sounded half delirious now. "I can't let them out."

"Well, I am not leaving you here," Yugi said. He was determined as he pulled Yami towards the door. "We need to go."

The older boy was weak enough that Yugi got him through the door without much force, lugging him across the hall to the room where he'd woken up. The pair shielded their eyes from the bedroom lights, and Yugi forced the door closed behind him. Away from the dark, warmth flooded him. Yugi didn't know how long they had been in the darkness but, his eyes burned as if they'd been stuck in there for days.

Half blind, Yugi helped Yami to the bed, pushing the older boy onto the mattress. By the time that his eyes had adjusted, Yami had curled up in the comforter. The older boy's eyes were still adjusting, but they found Yugi's, his teeth still chattering.

"Lay with me," Yami said. He lifted the comforter, but his tone was clear – he wasn't asking.

Yugi didn't know what was happening, where he was or how he got here, and after a day full of confusion and panic, and the darn ache that continued to grow in his chest, he couldn't deny Yami's command. He slipped under the blankets, stomach fluttering as the older boy curled around him the second he slid in beside him.

Yami wrapped the comforter around them both, pulling Yugi against him as his fingers stroked down Yugi's back, gentle and rhythmic. His body was freezing at first, but after few minutes the older boy started to warm up under the blankets, and Yugi pulled back, meeting his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked. He studied Yami's eyes, looking for the delirium that he'd heard in the darkness, but found them lucid and clear.

"I will be," Yami said. His fingers were still playing down Yugi's back.

"What's going on, Yami?" Yugi said. His skin was tingling as Yami cupped his face, tilting his head back. "Where are we? A few minutes ago, I was in the hospital and now, we are here and – "

He should have expected the kiss but, when Yami's lips pressed against his, his mind went blank. This wasn't the gentle kisses that they had been sharing for the past week - this was possession. He went lax as Yami tasted him, the older boy's fingers moving down Yugi's neck as he started on the buttons of his shirt.

The older boy's desire roared through him and, the sensation was so intense, Yugi started to wonder if it was him feeling it or Yami. The flashes of the older boy had always been light brushes against his mind before but, this was a tidal wave. It dragged him under, stealing the breath from his lungs.

Yami pushed off the comforter as he shifted on top of the younger boy, hands roaming Yugi's chest as his shirt parted. Yugi tried to remember his questions as Yami's mouth slanted over his, his fingers like fire on his stomach as they inched towards his jeans.

"Yami," Yugi said, panting as the older boy kissed down his neck. It was so hard to think. "We should – " The rest of his sentence dried up as Yami's hand delved past his waistband. The pleasure, heavy and powerful, rolled through the younger boy, silencing him.

The older boy was still completely dressed as he cleaned him up, and Yugi's heart raced as Yami gathered him up again, pressing a kiss against his forehead. Yugi tried to speak, but the words were too jumbled in his head, his stomach fluttering.

The adrenaline from the day had dissolved and, Yugi couldn't help but slump into the older boy's hold as his body gave way. The emotions that had consumed him since he had solved the puzzle collapsed on top of him – fear, panic, and loneliness surging to the surface. His eyes burned with tears.

Yugi tried to pull away, but Yami's arms tightened around him. He was mortified as he started to cry, tears running down his face and dampening Yami's shirt. He hadn't cried in front of anyone since his parents' funeral, and breaking down in front of Yami felt especially humiliating.

"It's alright, aibou," Yami said. His voice was soft as his hands brushed through Yugi's hair.

The younger boy cried harder. He couldn't stop the tears no matter how hard he tried. He had been so scared in the hospital – so scared that Yami was dead, that he would never wake up again – and finding him in the darkness, so alone and helpless, it had terrified him. Then, when Yami had touched him, the older boy's feelings pouring through him – love, relief, lust - it had stolen any strength he had left.

Yami loosened his arms, untangling himself from the younger boy. Yugi closed his eyes as Yami's heat disappeared, and he was ashamed as he realized how little control he had over himself. _You're making a fool of yourself_, Yugi told himself. _Not even Yami wants to deal with you while you're hysterical. _The tears continued to leak from his eyes. It was like the emotional dam he'd been building, long before Yami had come into his life, had cracked open, and it was all he could do but ride it out.

Fabric rustled to the ground, and Yugi opened his eyes as Yami lay back down, shirtless, and pulled Yugi against him again, skin to skin.

"What are you doing?" Yugi asked. He wiped his eyes, breaths hiccupping as Yami's chin settled on top of his head.

"Skin to skin contact will help calm you down," Yami said.

Yugi was boneless to resist as Yami pressed his bare chest against his own.

"I don't understand," Yugi said, but he knew too well what Yami was referring to. His eyes drooped as soon as Yami's energy pumped through him. The dark smoke seemed like double the normal dose with their skin pressed together. It was Yugi's own personal sedative as it eased him down, like sitting next to a fire, the heat lulling him into a calm.

"Our souls were separated for several hours, aibou, plus the stress of our separation during the tournament," Yami said. "It will take time for our bond to repair, and we will both be weak until it does. Being ripped from one another was traumatic for us both."

"Why could I hear you in my head?" Yugi said. His words were almost slurring, drunk on the energy that flowed through him.

"You are my hikari," Yami said. "You will never be alone as long as one of us lives."

Yugi was quiet as he tried to piece together Yami's words, but they just didn't make sense. He was so tired.

"Sleep now, Yugi," Yami said. His voice sounded far away. "I promise that we will talk when you wake."

It was a matter of seconds before exhaustion claimed him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

><p>Yugi was standing in complete darkness.<p>

"Do you feel that?" Yugi said. He could sense the dark slithering around him, and even though it never ventured close enough to touch, he got goosebumps every time that it moved.

"The shadows are drawn by my magic," Yami said. "They won't hurt you." He had his hand on Yugi's back as he guided him farther into the room. The older boy had barely taken his hands off of him since their conversation over an hour ago, and once they'd entered the darkness, Yami had seemed even more intent on keeping him close.

"I wish I could _see_ them though," Yugi said. The shadows gave him the heebie-jeebies, like they were biding their time for the perfect opportunity to attack, and in a room already shrouded in darkness, every scurry made him flinch.

During their conversation earlier, Yami had explained that the labyrinth of dark rooms and shadows was his soul room – a place where his soul could reside without being attached to his body. The older boy suspected that the secret to their return to the physical world was hidden somewhere inside the room's depths and had coaxed Yugi away from the safety of the light to explore the shadows.

Yami was quiet for a second. "If you aren't ready…" he said.

"I am," Yugi said, cutting off the older boy. "I guess I just forgot how dark it was in here."

It had only been a few hours since he'd first found the Yami in this place, but Yugi had tried to forget the darkness as soon as the door had closed behind them. He had brought his flashlight along again but, the light seemed dimmer the farther that they pressed into the dark maze. Around them, the air remained cold as they moved, but it lacked the same icy nip as their previous visit.

Yami took his hand, and his palm was warm as they approached the first stairwell.

When Yugi had woken a few hours ago, he had been sprawled on top of the older boy, his face tucked in the juncture between Yami's shoulder and neck, the older boy's fingers spanning his lower back. It had taken Yugi a few seconds to remember where he was, but as the seconds passed, it had all started to replay in his mind – finding Yami, the kiss, crying in the older boy's arms, Yami's fingers on his… - by the time he'd replayed the past day, his entire body had been red with the stunning force of his embarrassment.

When the older boy had stirred underneath of him, Yugi had scrambled up and out of the bed, mortified as the older boy wished him a good morning through half lidded eyes, his chest bare.

"Yugi," Yami said. "You're dwelling again." The older boy's hand squeezed his as they moved through another empty hallway.

"Sorry," Yugi said. Yami had explained that, just as Yugi had been experiencing for the past few weeks, Yami felt his emotions too, and negative ones were particularly unsettling. Every time his embarrassment over last night and this morning flooded him, Yami felt it too.

True to his promise, the older boy had explained their situation after they had both woken up, and the details had been a little more mystical than Yugi had been imagining.

It went something like this - their souls were trapped inside the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi was a hikari, the lighter half of Yami's soul and his soul mate through and through. Yami was the reincarnate of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh and could command the shadows. There was a mental connection between the two of them, linking them in every way, and it was only just maturing. Most importantly, they would both be stuck here, in the puzzle, until their bond solidified enough to balance the shadows that had been unleashed within the older boy at the puzzle's completion.

Yugi hadn't wanted to believe a word of it. Soul mates, shadow magic, mind links – it sounded like some kind of children's cartoon, not flesh and blood, not reality.

Yami had told him about the Millennium Puzzle, the reason for his coma, and his ancient connection with the shadows, and as Yugi listened to the older boy explain, he wanted to be angry. He wanted to be enraged by the secrets that Yami had kept from him, the ridiculousness of everything he was saying. Yugi wanted to yell, to push the older boy away and never have to deal with any of this ever again.

But, the older boy's desperation had stopped him. He had felt Yami's fear pulsing through him, the terror of Yugi's possible rejection and the trepidation of being trapped in the shadows forever, and as much as he wanted to, Yugi couldn't bring himself to refuse him.

The younger boy had felt something different between him and Yami since the start, and it had terrified him from their very first moments in the cafe. As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't ignore the flashes of the older boy's emotions, his voice in his head at the hospital, being transported here – if it wasn't magic, Yugi had lost his mind.

But, was Yami his soul mate? Yugi believed in love, sure, and, he'd read too many books to forgo all belief in magic but, could all of what Yami had told him really be true? Yugi felt something for the older boy, he knew that, and the intensity that he felt when it came to Yami scared the wits out of him, but could he really allow himself to believe that Yami was the other half of his soul?

The connection between them seemed harder to deny the more that he considered it. Was he really this hikari person? The longer that the pair walked in the darkness, the more Yugi wondered what in the world he had gotten himself into.

* * *

><p>Yami guided his hikari down one of the many hallways in his soul room, searching for something that even he didn't know.<p>

The connection between him and Yugi remained clear as they walked, and Yami felt himself relaxing the longer that Yugi's aura brushed against his. The younger boy had made no moves to block their bond since their conversation, and his light seemed to have taken the truth better than Yami had anticipated. Yugi hadn't said much since their talk, but Yami could sense the torrent of thoughts swirling through his hikari's mind as they continued through the darkness.

When Yami had woken a few hours ago, the bond to his hikari had felt clearer than ever. The connection had repaired as they had slept, and with his light's delicious heat sprawled on top of him, Yami had felt almost whole as he dozed in the warmth.

He had been desperate for his hikari when Yugi had first brought him into his soul room. The shadows had been thrashing inside of him as his light pulled him from the darkness, and he'd been half delirious when Yugi laid down beside him, the younger boy's aura settling the magic within him. It was only after Yami's mind had quieted that he had started to feel the ache that the Yugi had been shouldering since their separation, and it had been instinct to reach out for the younger boy.

Yami had touched his light, pleasured him, and when Yugi had surrendered beneath him, giving into the desire that ricocheted down their bond, Yami had felt another wall crumbling between them.

It had been the first in a chain of dominos.

The exhaustion of their separation and the intimacy between them had weakened Yugi, and as the boy came down from his high, he'd been too drained to continue to fight the pain that he had been burying long before he'd met Yami. The waves of emotion had crashed through the younger boy, and it had been torture to watch his hikari struggle under the pain that he'd kept locked away, hidden deep for years.

However, as Yugi surfaced from the emotions that he had refused to acknowledge for so long, Yami had felt the catharsis work down their bond. As the younger boy let go of the pain, their connection cleared, destroying the final walls that had weakened their link.

Then, when Yami had told Yugi the truth of their relationship, he had sensed their bond solidifying. Yami could feel Yugi's apprehension as he revealed the truth but, he could also sense his hikari's acceptance, and the longer Yami talked, the more that he could feel the final puzzle piece clicking into place.

Now, he and his hikari were delving farther into his soul room, searching for a way out of the puzzle as Yami sensed that the secret of their release was hidden somewhere in the darkness.

"Yami?" Yugi said. He hadn't asked Yami a single question since their earlier conversation. "What would have happened if I had never finished the puzzle?" he said. "Or what if someone steals it? How would that affect - you?"

"The puzzle is how the pharaoh channeled his shadow magic. If it was stolen, my powers would be diminished but, our bond would remain intact, much how our link existed even before the puzzle's completion," Yami said. "We are one, Yugi. Even if one of us were to perish, both of our souls would continue to exist in one physical form."

Yugi was quiet. "And, if I never finished it?" he said.

"Impossible," Yami said. "You were destined to receive the puzzle and to solve it. You are my hikari." There was something comforting about saying the word out loud, staking his claim on the younger boy at last.

"And the rest of the millennium items, they are born to the other owner's hikari too?" Yugi said.

"Yes," Yami said. He already knew where this conversation was heading.

"Which means that Ryou…" Yugi said, trailing off.

"Yes, Ryou-san is the hikari of the ring," Yami said. It wasn't his place to involve himself in the relationships of other hikaris and yamis but, he had his suspicions that Ryou, Yugi's soft-spoken, well-mannered friend, would soon have his hands full when Bakura barreled into his life.

Yugi was quiet again as they descended a set of stairs, his flashlight settling on a set of stone carvings along one of the walls. They were crumbling but, most of the swirled ancient designs were still intact.

"Woah," Yugi said, leaning in closer. Yami could feel the younger boy's excitement shoot down the bond. "These look authentic," he said. His nerves eased as he leaned in closer to examine the engravings.

"This soul room is the same as it was when I was pharaoh," Yami said. "Everything here is original to ancient Egypt."

Yugi brushed his fingers over the designs. "I wonder if there are more of them farther down," he said.

The pair descended the rest of the stairs, pausing as they entered a wide, squat chamber. Yugi scanned the room with the flashlight, illuminating a giant set of stone tablets on the far wall.

"Duel Monsters," Yugi breathed.

True to his word, several of the tablets featured crude engravings of Duel Monsters, and Yami's power tingled under his skin as he identified the Dark Magician on one of the tablets.

"Look!" Yugi said, honing in on another tablet in the center of the series. "It's you!"

He shined the light on the figure, and Yami recognized a similar head of spiky hair and signature monster floating above it.

"And, is that – your cousin?" Yugi said, he stepped closer to survey the carving.

The figure did resemble Seto, right down to the Blue Eyes White Dragon flying above his head.

"Seto is the guardian of the owners of the millennium items," Yami said. "He is said to be powerful enough to challenge all of us and win, even against me."

"But, didn't you beat him in a duel a few years ago?" Yugi asked, turning to face Yami in the darkness.

"Indeed," Yami said. He had stripped Seto of his title right before his cousin had met Jou. Seto had been too clouded with his own darkness at the time to stand a chance against Yami and, after meeting Jou, his cousin had retired from Duel Monsters all together, devoting his time to launching Kaiba Corp. Yami often wondered who would emerge victorious if they recreated the same duel now.

"Why are you both engraved here?" Yugi said. He lowered the flashlight between them, illuminating both of their faces. "What does it mean?"

Yami met his hikari's eyes. "It is the story of the pharaoh," he said.

"You mean – your story?" Yugi said.

Yami nodded. "It speaks of a time when the pharaoh will save the fate of the universe," Yami said. "It talks of Duel Monsters with the power of gods, and how the pharaoh will need their power to save the world from the shadows."

"I just don't get how I play into that," Yugi said.

"You are my hikari," Yami said.

"You keep saying that," Yugi said, frowning. "But, how can you be so sure?" He scrubbed his hand down his face, eyes focusing somewhere over Yami's shoulder.

Yami stepped forward, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders. His hikari's apprehension had returned full force, and Yami wouldn't have the way the younger boy wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Look at me, Yugi," Yami said. When the younger boy didn't move, Yami titled his chin up, forcing him to meet his eyes, thumb brushing against his jaw. "I have no doubt in my mind that you are my hikari. You are the other half of my soul, and there is no one else but you who can fill that role. Do you deny the bond between us?"

Yugi was quiet, and Yami reached for their link, filling it with his energy, hoping to calm the younger boy. Within seconds, Yugi relaxed under Yami's hands.

"You can't just do that whenever I start freaking out," Yugi said, sighing. "It's really unfair."

"Do what?" Yami asked, feigning ignorance. The boy's calm washed over him as Yami's energy settled his hikari, and the older boy was relieved that their bond remained intact. His hikari wasn't running from him, not yet.

"This is crazy. Everything about this is crazy," Yugi said. He shook his head, taking a deep breath. "But, I believe you. I don't want to, but I do." The younger boy stepped closer to him, looking into Yami's eyes as if looking to find the answers he was so desperate for.

Yami pulled his hikari closer, shutting his eyes, as Yugi relaxed into his hold. The shadows were watching them but, they had lost their malicious aura, and for the first time since the puzzle's completion, the dark energy within him felt calm, manageable even, as Yugi curled his fingers into Yami's jacket.

He was surprised when Yugi reached up for him a few moments later, brushing his lips against his own. It was a gentle touch, light and warm, like his hikari's energy. Light filled him as Yugi touched his jaw, the younger boy's thoughts – his growing feelings for him, the gradual acceptance of their bond – flowing through Yami. The older boy felt like he was floating from his body as Yugi settled back against his chest. The darkness seemed to ease the more that he soaked himself in his light's energy, their bond linking them in the unbreakable connection of their souls.

By the time that Yami had settled from the energy, his hikari's warmth was gone from his arms. He opened his eyes, annoyed, and cringed as fluorescent bulbs and white walls burned into his pupils. Yami squinted in the brightness, searching for Yugi, but stopped as he was crushed in someone's arms.

Yami wasn't in the puzzle anymore. He was in a hospital bed, and his mother had him in a death grip, crying his name.

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><p><strong>AN: **The next chapter will be the last of this story! Thanks for all of your support so far!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **This is the final chapter of _Light in the Dark - _see author's note at the bottom for information on the sequel.**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

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><p>Yugi was so busted.<p>

He stumbled into Yami's dresser as he hopped on one foot, trying to get on his sock. It was still dark in the bedroom, and even though the blinds were up, the wisps of dawn were muted by cloud cover. Yami's alarm clock showed 6:04 am. Yugi only had 26 minutes to get back to the Mutou apartment before his grandfather noticed that he was missing.

In front of him, Yami was still sprawled out on the mattress, sheets tangled around him, eyes closed, and his breathing steady. The older boy had started his lease on the apartment before they'd both been trapped in the puzzle, and though Yami had been living here for more than a month, the bedroom was bare other than the furniture.

Yugi yanked on his t-shirt, dropping to his knees as he reached for one of his tennis shoes under the bed. He jammed it on his foot, lacing them before shooting to his feet, glancing at the clock – 6:08.

_Crap!_ Yugi thought.

He reached for the Millennium Puzzle on the nightstand. He hadn't let the ancient artifact leave his sight after their time trapped inside of it, and Yugi had taken to wearing it around his neck on a chain. Yugi froze as Yami's fingers captured his wrist mid-reach. He must have woken up while Yugi had been banging around for his things.

"It's too early, aibou," Yami said. The older boy's voice was groggy with sleep, half lidded eyes watching him. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go," Yugi said, he tried pulling his wrist but, the older boy's hand tightened. "Yami, really, it's – _its 6:13_!"

The older boy slumped back against the pillows, releasing him, and Yugi slid the chain over his head, puzzle settling against his chest.

"You wouldn't have to go through this every morning if you told your grandfather the truth," Yami said. He always looked younger when he first woke up, as if the hours of unconsciousness somehow lightened the burdens that he carried day by day.

Yugi sighed as he grabbed his jacket, threading his arms through the sleeves. This had become a reoccurring conversation over the past week and a half.

"Not yet," Yugi said, zipping up his coat, clock reading 6:15. Yugi jogged to the door, already half in the hallway before he turned to face the older boy. "I'll see you later," he said.

Yami sighed, giving him a small smile. Yugi flew to the front door and grabbed his backpack, the door clanging closed behind him as he left.

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><p><em>LOOK U R IN STAR! :OOOO <em>

Yugi squinted down at the text from Anzu, wondering what in the world she was talking about. His phone buzzed again, and Yugi opened the next message, finding a collection of grainy photos of him and Yami splashed across a magazine page, Star Magazine to be exact, headline exclaiming – THE KING OF GAMES FINDS A PRINCE?

Setting down his phone, Yugi closed his eyes, counting back from twenty in his head. _20…19…18_ The photos had obviously been taken since they'd been discharged from the hospital a week and a half ago, the earliest of them featuring him blurring through the hospital doors when he'd first arrived to find Yami at Tokyo General. _17…16…15_

The younger boy had never intended for the press to find out about him, but after walking out of the hospital last week with Yami's arm around him into a crowd of reporters, any pretense of privacy had been blown out of the water. The reporters had started showing up at the Game Shop the night he'd returned home, asking questions about him and Yami as his grandfather politely ushered them out the door.

_14…13…12…_ The media had stopped showing up to the house after a few days when only Yugi and his grandfather were coming or going. They had instead started popping up in different places around Domino, snapping pictures of Yugi and the duelist champion while they walked around town looking completely platonic being as Yugi wouldn't let Yami in a two foot radius of him while they were outside anymore. _11…10…9…_

"You're anxious," Yami said. The link between the two had only increased since they'd woken up from being trapped in the puzzle, each boy in separate hospital beds, IV drips in their arms, and Yami's mother standing vigil over them.

Yugi opened his eyes, finding the older boy standing in front of him with two cups of tea, steam rising from the mugs. He had been coming to Yami's apartment every day after classes, trying to get in some studying before he was due home to help his grandfather in the shop. It seemed like the only time he could concentrate lately was when Yami was around.

"There are more pictures of us going around," Yugi said, accepting the cup from the older boy.

Yami sat on the couch next to him, settling back against the cushions. The older boy wasn't fazed by the publicity that their relationship was getting, but as the King of Games, he was long used to media attention. Yugi ignored the flutter in his stomach as Yami's fingers brushed his chin, drawing his face towards him.

"You cannot continue to deprive yourself of sleep," Yami said.

Yugi ducked his head, taking a hasty sip of tea and burning his tongue. He had spent every night since their return from the hospital ten days ago at Yami's apartment.

The first night after Tokyo, Yugi had tried to fall asleep in his own bed but, the ache that spread through his chest without the older boy beside him made it impossible to dip into dreamland. He had tossed and turned until midnight before slipping out of the Mutou apartment, using the back stairs, and taking a cab to the older boy's apartment. He'd slept a few hours with Yami curled around him and then had woken in time to be back in his own bed before his grandfather's early morning alarm.

He hadn't wanted to upset his grandfather further by being missing from his bed, and the older man had already been on edge after Yugi had disappeared for two days with barely a word of explanation and then returned with a hospital bracelet and swarm of reporters.

However, it was becoming a reoccurring cycle. Yugi couldn't sleep without Yami, no matter how hard he tried, but he also hadn't been able bring himself to tell his grandfather the truth about him and the older boy. He knew that his grandfather must suspect the truth but, suspecting and knowing were two entirely different things.

"I just can't tell him yet. It's not the right time," Yugi said. He sighed into his cup, steam warming his skin.

"For you or for your grandfather?" Yami said. He put down his mug on the coffee table, turning to Yugi.

"What do you mean?" Yugi said.

"How do you feel about me?" Yami said, the change of subject spinning Yugi's head.

"I – " Yugi said, floundering. "You know how I feel about you." The older boy must have been able to feel Yugi's feelings for him through their bond.

Yami frowned, taking Yugi's cup from his hands and setting it next to his.

"I want you to tell me," Yami said.

Yugi could feel the older boy's tug on their bond, and he resisted the dark energy that flowed towards him. He was learning that if concentrated hard enough, he could minimize the effect of the older boy's magic by using his own energy to dilute the smoke. It wasn't exact, but at least he wasn't turning to jelly every time Yami's power reached him anymore.

"I like you," Yugi said. His face was heating with a blush.

"What am I to you?" Yami said.

"Well," Yugi said, swallowing the knot in his throat. "You're my friend."

Yami's eyebrow arched. "Your friend?" he said.

"Well, I mean – you're my – you're – Yami," Yugi said. He didn't like the intensity of the older boy's questions. It made him feel like he was back to that day in the café, stuttering through every word.

Yami closed his eyes, exhaling. Yugi could feel his frustration through the bond. "It is time for this to end, Yugi," he said.

Yugi's stomach sank, his heart racing in his chest. This was it, Yami was leaving. He'd had enough of his relationship reservations, and he was going to find someone else to take his place. Panic flooded Yugi, his breaths coming in short exhales. People always left, always. He'd known this was going to happen from the very beginning – why had he ever pretended otherwise?

"Yugi!" Yami said. He was gripping Yugi's chin, forcing him to look at him. "Stop this," he said. The older boy's face was pale, crimson eyes searing through him.

Yugi realized that Yami's presence was gone from his mind. The sudden emptiness was unsettling, like he'd been in the middle of a task and then suddenly forgotten how to go about it, like cooking on the stove then completely blanking when it came to turning it off. Yugi forced himself to calm his breathing. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths until air filled his lungs, his mind quieting. He reached for their bond, shuddering as Yami's energy engulfed him.

Yami kissed him hard, his power throbbing through Yugi's veins, energy tingling over his skin. The older boy cupped the back of neck as he tasted him with an intensity that burned down Yugi's body, settling in his stomach, low and heavy. The kiss only lasted a second before Yami yanked Yugi onto his lap, breaking their kiss and crushing Yugi against him. Yugi was trying to catch his breath as Yami's pressed him closer, and Yugi rested his chin on the older boy's shoulder, knees sinking into the couch as he straddled his legs.

"Never do that again," Yami said in his ear. His breathing was labored, like he'd just run up the ten flights of stairs to his front door.

"I didn't – " Yugi said.

"You blocked yourself from me," Yami said. He pulled Yugi back far enough to look into his eyes. "Never do it again." The older boy's tone was hard as he repeated the command, eyes searching Yugi's.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said. Guilt rolled through him as he felt the older boy's lingering terror pulsing down their bond. "I didn't even know I was doing it."

Yami slumped back against the cushions, his fingers tightening around Yugi's waist when the younger boy tried to wriggle back to his seat. The older boy took a deep breath, shoulders drooping. It took a few seconds before he opened his eyes again, meeting Yugi's.

"My previous statement was referring to the fact it is time for your reluctance in confirming our relationship to end," Yami said, straightening. "Even your friends are unaware of the depth of our relation."

"It's just not the right time!" Yugi said. Anzu and Ryou knew that he was spending almost all of his time with the older boy but, Yami was right, he hadn't confided in his friends how he felt about the duelist king because even Yugi wasn't quite sure how he felt about the older boy.

"The right time has come and passed," Yami said. "I will not continue to let you keep yourself from me in this manner." Yami pinned him with a stare when Yugi continued to try move from his lap.

Yugi sighed, sitting back on the older boy's legs. He wasn't going anywhere until Yami was ready.

"We are soul mates. That will never change, regardless of your degree of acceptance of that fact," Yami said. "And, if you are not yet ready to confirm our relationship publically then, at minimum, you must inform your grandfather so that we both may have a full night's rest. Our bond is still growing and the more that it grows, the harder it will be for us to be separated."

"He's probably not going to be very happy about it," Yugi said. His grandfather was kind and gentle, but he remained old fashioned in a lot ways. Yugi didn't know how he would react to his grandson telling him that he'd found himself a boyfriend.

"I don't think that's what you truly fear," Yami said. "Remember, aibou, we are linked. Secrets between us will not remain secret for long." He had his hands on Yugi's knees, fingers spanning his kneecaps. "I think you are scared of admitting your feelings to me or anyone else because then the threat to your heart will be real."

"That's not true!" Yugi said. He tried to get up but, Yami gripped his legs to keep him still.

"Then why won't you tell me your feelings towards me?" Yami said.

"It makes me uncomfortable!" Yugi said. "Like I am right now!" He was getting annoyed and desperate to get away from the older boy. Away from his hands, his scent, his aura brushing against his own.

"You are my hikari," Yami said, "There are no secrets between us. Unless you are still denying - "

"You scare me!" Yugi said. "Okay? That's how I feel about you!" He took a deep breath, and then the words just started tumbling out. "Every time I look at you, I wonder if one day I am going to turn around and, you'll be gone. So, yeah I don't want to tell people about us because when I do I'll be the one who looks stupid and alone when you leave. I am _nobody_ and, you're this celebrity who has photographers following him around 24/7 just to get a picture of us holding hands.

I mean, _god_, I'm just a normal person, and you spend half the time giving me this look where I can't think, and I say dumb stuff. And, don't get me started on the magic part! And, now you're sitting here listening to me ramble about how crazy I think all of this is, and you're smiling at me!" Yugi huffed. "Why are you smiling at me!?"

"I love you," Yami said. Pure and simple, like he'd just commented on the weather outside.

"What?" Yugi said, frozen on the older boy's lap.

"I love you," Yami repeated. "We are partners and, I am not leaving, now or ever."

Yugi opened his mouth to respond, but his head was empty of a single utterance. His molars clicked as he snapped his jaw back together.

"I – " Yugi said.

"Will you tell your grandfather the truth?" Yami said, cutting him off. His energy was calm, brushing against Yugi's with light caresses, but it did little to settle the younger boy.

"I – well - uh," Yugi said, words jumbled up in his head.

Yami loved him? Yugi knew that he felt something deep for the older boy but, love? Did he love Yami? He was so confused. Everything he felt towards the older boy was just a big knot in his head, and it had been since the first moment he'd met him.

"We will tell him now then," Yami said.

Yugi was still speechless as the older boy helped him off of his lap and guided him to the front door, his hand on his back. Yami was already opening the front door when Yugi dug in his heels.

"Wait – what about - our tea?" Yugi said. His stomach was churning, but whether it was over talking to his grandfather or Yami's bombshell, he wasn't sure.

"It can wait," Yami said. He held out his hand for the younger boy, one foot already in the hallway.

Yugi looked at him. It had barely been two months and already, Yami had flipped his entire world upside down, and he was still doing it, even now.

Yugi took Yami's hand, letting the older boy tug him out of the apartment. They took the elevator down, crossing the lobby, and pressed out onto the street. A photographer was camped out with a cup of coffee and a camera, and the shutter winked as Yami hailed a car, Yugi's fingers curled around his.

The older boy opened the door for him, and Yugi met his eyes as Yami waited for him to slide in first. Yami's energy flowed through him, the same seductive smoke as their first day in the café, and as the camera clicked behind them, Yugi brushed against their bond, soaking in its energy.

It was going to take him time to untangle his feelings about Yami and, it would take even more time before he was ready to admit how he felt. The older boy was hard to read, and he had an annoying habit of telling rather than asking but, when it came down to it, Yugi couldn't imagine going back to his life without him.

The older boy watched him as Yugi reached out, his fingers twisting in Yami's jacket as he stepped closer.

Yugi knew the choice he was making, knew that it would change everything. But, his life hadn't been the same since the moment Yami had walked into it, and the older boy was right – the time had come to accept that. His life before Yami had been a good one, but living without the older boy after all they'd been through, all that Yugi knew about him, it would be an empty sort of existence.

Yugi met Yami's eyes as he leaned up, the older boy's aura heavy and warm against his. Yugi brushed his lips against Yami's, feeling him smile under his lips as he drew Yugi into his arms. Yugi eased into their connection, the older boy's aura rolling though him, coaxing him out to feel the depth of Yami's affection.

They were an unlikely pair, two opposite halves – one dark and one light – but as the camera clicked behind them, capturing them for the world, Yugi could have sworn in that moment, for just a nanosecond, they felt one of the same.

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><p><strong>AN: **This is the conclusion of _Light in the Dark_. **There will be a sequel** and, it will be set a few months ahead of where we are currently leaving our pair so, make sure you follow me if you want to be notified when that gets posted. I'm hoping that the first chapter of the sequel will go up next week (the week of 11/9/14).

I really enjoyed writing this story, and I am interested in further developing Yami and Yugi in this AU universe. It was _a lot_ more difficult than I anticipated to write a story with no direct secondary character dialogue (go back and check - it's just Yami and Yugi talking the whole time) but, I ended up liking the result because it kept the action immediate. However, I plan that the sequel will include secondary character dialogue, including characters such as Jou, Seto, Anzu, Bakura, and Ryou but, the POV will continue to stay in Yami's and Yugi's voices.

Thanks for all your support through _Light in the Dark_! I hope you enjoyed it!


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